Oncillas (Leopardus tigrinus) are among the smallest wild cats of South American, they are just a tad bigger than the Asian Flat Headed Cat. An Oncilla would weigh on the average 2 to 3 kgs. The Oncilla opts for the high-elevation forests, and in Columbia, they only stay in places above 1,500m.

It has a magnificent coat, colored tan, adorned with symmetrical patterns. They have round eyes, and they have golden irises, which may be either beautiful or scary, depending on the person looking. They are in part arboreal, and they use their pronounced long tails to balance during climbin.

An Oncilla's diet consists of primates, rodents, insects, birds and the indigenous reptiles. In coffee plantations, these cats have been studied. From the observations, it has been speculated that they are more able to cope with mankind's acts more than the very shy Kodkods. The male is territorial. Very few of them actually are held in zoos, and from records, they breed poorly when under captivity.

The Oncilla's gestation period is 74 to 76 days, and a cub reaches maturity from six to eight months. Longevity is about a decade to fourteen years, but this is for those living at the wild habitat. Those in captivity live much longer, about 23 years (!).

This hunting still persists at present, although due to strict legislations, they have lessened dramatically. Another reason for the decreasing of their numbers is the ever-present deforestation.

Interesting fact: It has a friendly call, it sounds just like a gurgle, and can travel only a short distance.

The Little spotted cat, oncilla, tiger cat is listed as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Namings for the little spotted cat

A young / baby of a little spotted cat is called a 'kitten'. The females are called 'queen' and males 'tom '. A little spotted cat group is called a 'clowder, clutter, pounce, kindle (young), embarrassment (young),'.